The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1887-08-20
THE CRE0LES OF
LOUISIANA;
Or, "reminiscences of an Old
Acadian.
BY FELIX VOORHEES,.
BY FELIX VOORHEES,.

I'VE set out with sorrow, alas. we were
parting from friends who had received us
kindly, who had relieved us in our need,
and consoled US in our grief. Friends
who had proved themselves true as steel
and loving as brothers. We were parting
from them, lured by hopes that might be
deceitful, and when we grasped their
hands in last farewell, words failed
us, and our tears and stifled sobs alone
told them of our gratitude for the bene-
fits that they had showered so generously
upon us. They, too, wept, touched to the
heart by the eloquent though mute ex-
preston Of our gratitude. Their last
words were words of love, glowing with
the fcrven: wish that our cherished hopes
might be realized.
ave set out in westerly direction and
soon lost sight of the hOspitable roofs of
the Brent and Smith families. We again
felt that We we're poor, wandering exiles,
roaming through the world i'm search Of
home.
Our advance, as you may well imagine
petiOts, was slow and tedious, for thou
sand obstacles impeded our progress.
We encountered deep and rapid streams
that we could not cross for want of
boats, we Travelled through mountain de-
files, where the pathway was narrow
and dangerous, and where we were con-
tinually exposed to the peril of plunge
Of. hundreds Of feet into yawning
precipice below. We suffered from
storms and pelting rains, and at night
when we halted to rest our weary limbs,
we were sheltered from the weather only
by the light canvass of our tents.
All, petiOts, we underwent many sore
trials; yet, we advanced slowly and reso.
lutely, nerved by the hope that far, far
away in Louisiana, our dream land, we
should find our kith and kin. That "a
diant hope illumned our pathway, it
shoned as a beacon light on which we
kept our eyes riveted. and 1t stilled our
hearts to bear sufferings and privatiOns
almost too great to be borne otherwise.
Thus we advanced fearlessly, aye, al
most cheerfully, and at night when we
pitched our tents in some solitary spot,
our Acadian songs broke the silence and
loneliness Of its solitude, and as the gen.
tie night wind waited them over the
hills the light couplets were re-echoed
back to US so clearly and so distinctly, it
seemed that the voice of friend was re-
peating them at distane.
As long as.we Travelled in Virginia, bar
ring the obstacles presented by the roads
OF country divereifed by hills and
dales. our progress though slow, was
satisfactory. The people were kind and
generous and supplied us with an abund-
ance of provisions. But when the white
population grew sparser and sparser, and
at last. when We reached the wild and
mountainous country which. We were
told. bore the name OF Carolina. then
petiots. 1t required stout heart and a
hrm resolve not to abandon the attempt
to reach Louisiana by the overland route
we were following.
During days and weeks We had 10
march slowly and tediousIy through end
less forests having to cut our way through
underground so thick as to be almost
impervious TO light. BruShwood, where
cruel enemy might lay concealed in
ambush bent on our destruction. for we
were now In the very heart ofthe Indian
country and the savagas followed US